Miss USA crowns first-ever married mother from Virginia: 'WE MADE HISTORY'
· Toronto Sun
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Miss USA has crowned its 2026 champion — and it’s more like missus than miss.
Justus Kelley, who represented Virginia, was crowned on Thursday night in Miami, marking the first time the pageant has ever put the winning sash around a wife and mother.
The 31-year-old’s historic win is the first following the organization’s massive rule changes in 2023, which not only saw the end of the age limit but also allowed contestants who are mothers.
The previous rules banning married and divorced women were also quashed.
“I’m Justus Kelley and I just won Miss USA 2026,” she said in a video shared on Miss USA’s Instagram page .
“This opportunity means the world to me, and not only are we celebrating the 75th anniversary but we made history tonight,” she continued. “I’m the first married woman, first mom, and first woman in her 30s. It’s a great night.”
Fostering is her passion
Kelley, who is fostering a baby boy and his sister with her husband, Tyler Rashad Kelley, founded Foster Footprints, an organization which works with foster youth in the Washington, D.C. area.
The couple, who have been married for nearly a decade, have been licensed foster parents for nearly two years.
“I married my college sweetheart, who shared with me on one of our very first dates that he, too, dreamed of fostering someday,” Kelley told People before her win.
“Thirteen years later, we have welcomed children ranging from seven months to 10 years old into our home.”
She added: “From the beginning, we knew we wanted to be a safe, loving and welcoming home for children of any age, race, orientation or background. We wanted every child who came through our doors to know that they were safe, valued and worthy of being loved exactly as they are.”
1957 winner stripped of title over marriage
While Kelley was the first legitimate married mother to win, Mary Leona Gage was crowned Miss USA in 1957 — before the title was ultimately stripped after it was discovered that she was married with two sons.
Before Kelley was crowned, the pageant invited legacy queens to the stage as part of its celebration of its 75th diamond anniversary competition.
Miss Utah Alayzia Christopher placed fourth runner-up, followed by third runner-up, Iowa’s Madeline Erickson and Miss Pennsylvania Elizabeth Voight was second runner-up.
Miss Florida Aileen Cerchiara was the first runner-up and will take Kelley’s place in the Miss Universe pageant if the Virginia native is unable to.
Kelley’s Miss USA victory scored her a prize package valued at more than $685,000, which includes a salary of $150,000, a Range Rover, a one-year lease in a luxury Miami apartment residence, a Westgate Vacation Home Club, and a $30,000 wardrobe.
Last year’s controversy
This year’s pageant went off without hitch, unlike the Miss USA 2025, when the winner Alma Cooper pulled out of the crowning ceremony and, instead, her successor, Audrey Eckert, was crowned.
“After much consideration, I’ve made the extremely difficult decision not to attend this year’s Miss USA pageant and crowning ceremony to instead stand in honor of my values, work, and resolve,” the former titleholder wrote on social media .
“As I close this chapter, I do so with the knowledge that I finished what I started with integrity and my self-worth held high, just like the crown I was honored to wear.”